Trojans and Bulldawgs playing for something, just not playoff berths

LAS CRUCES - Both teams are ranked, will make the state playoffs, and don't necessarily have much to prove this late in the high school girls basketball season.

But Saturday's District 3-5A championship game between Las Cruces High and Mayfield, being played at MHS at 2 p.m., figures to be important for both teams.

For one, there's the purposes of what lies ahead for the 2012-13 season.

The Trojans have a legitimate chance at winning a state title, holding a highly-impressive 24-2 record on the year.

They've beaten the Bulldawgs two times this season, and hope to add another victory over a quality program heading into next week's state tournament.

"First of all, it's the district-championship game. Second of all, it's Cruces High," Mayfield head coach George Maya said.

"We want to go into the state tournament with momentum," he added. "Of course, it's going to help us. And it's just a big game."

Trojans guard Audrey Oliver said her team still focuses on two regular-season defeats - their only two of the season thus far - against another top-ranked team in the state, Hobbs.

"We talk about our losses, we don't talk about our wins," she said. "Those losses were really tough to us. We lost to the same team twice in a row. A good team."

The Bulldawgs have also had a solid year, standing at 20-7 overall and in second place in the District 3-5A standings throughout the season.

Advertisement

A win for LCHS over rival Mayfield on Saturday could provide a team-wide boost going into the state playoffs as well.

"A big win would definitely give us confidence," head coach Matt Abney said. "We're inconsistent right now. Peaks and valleys. .... I like the character we have. Every game's a new game, and that's the way we view it."

Both clubs also have state playoff seedings at stake.

Maya said he hoped his team, with a win Saturday, would have an opportunity at a No. 2 seed in the state-tournament bracket.

Abney said he believes his team is in line for a first-round home game in the state tournament regardless, although a win Saturday would solidify that fact.

"It would definitely strengthen our case," he said, "to win, or at least play very well."

After having two early byes in the district tournament, and in turn nearly a week off from live game action, the No. 2-seeded Bulldawgs beat Oñate 43-32 in the semifinals round on Friday.

Now it's the Trojans who haven't taken the court in some time - as the No. 1 seed, they received an automatic bye into the title game - and will have to guard against some rust entering tonight's contest.

From a player's perspective, Oliver said she would have preferred playing, although Maya added, in this year's case, having some time off was a good thing for the Trojans.

"It's hard when you're healthy and you're playing really well. We weren't playing really well. Defensively, we were. Offensively, up and down," Maya said. "This was actually good for us."

The Bulldawgs hope to reverse the two early-season results against Mayfield going into tonight's game.

"It was a great experience playing them the last time and I think we've got them," said LCHS sophomore post Alina Fassa. "Now we see what we can take advantage of after looking at things on film."

Teddy Feinberg can be reached at (575) 541-5455. Follow him on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg